Even when it comes to workplace issues that employees care about, such as benefits, pay, and performance management, HR communication often falls short. In fact, although almost 100 percent of employees read or browse every communication they receive, only 30 percent are satisfied with the HR communication.
Also, when employees don’t get the information they need, they also have a hard time getting their questions answered. Although employees turn to the company intranet, HR representatives, or their managers for help, only 50 percent receive the answers they need.
What is the problem?
With all the effort that goes into communicating with employees, what makes it so difficult? There is an erroneous assumption that employees are an engaged audience, receiving every internal message with great attention. This leads us to a communication that is often also:
General: We believe that one size fits all, even though employees are incredibly diverse in age, job level, gender, ethnicity, geography, etc.
Comprehensive – In an effort to include all pertinent information, we create extensive, dense, and detailed content.
Technical: Only subject matter experts are interested in terms such as “company ratios” and “weighted valuations.” Employees just want to know what to lego serious play workshops.
Old School: When was the last time you read a 500-word outside newspaper article? Or did you watch a 15 minute video on YouTube? Too much internal communication is stuck in a time warp.
The solution: treat your employees like your customers
If you can only do one thing differently to improve employee communication, do the following: Treat employees with as much care and consideration as your customers. Take this small step and you will get big positive results.
This is why. Your business has many important components, from government regulators to unions, shareholders, customers, neighbors, and the press. Your employees occupy a unique place in this group.
When your employees do great work, create new products, build your brand, and sell your products, they also forge a positive bond with one or more of the other groups that are important to the success of your company. Think about it for a moment and you will realize how appropriate it is to treat your employees as customers. After all, they are customers of the HR benefits, services and programs that your company offers.

